England beat Croatia 4-2 in a thrilling World Cup opener as Harry Kane scored twice and Jude Bellingham inspired victory

England manager Thomas Tuchel and captain Harry Kane led the Three Lions to a thrilling 4-2 victory over Croatia on Wednesday as England launched their FIFA World Cup campaign with an entertaining win in Texas.

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Harry Kane scored twice in a dramatic first half, while Jude Bellingham and substitute Marcus Rashford added second-half goals to secure all three points for England in front of a crowd of 70,000 at the home of the Dallas Cowboys.

The result marked a successful start to England’s quest for a first major international trophy since 1966, although Croatia repeatedly exposed defensive weaknesses that will concern Tuchel as the tournament progresses.

England took the lead after 12 minutes when Kane converted a retaken penalty. Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic initially saved the spot-kick, but French referee Clement Turpin ordered a retake after video review showed the goalkeeper had moved off his line.

Kane made no mistake with his second attempt, driving the ball home to put England ahead.

The goal sparked a dominant spell for England, with Jude Bellingham pulling the strings in midfield and creating several promising opportunities.

Despite England’s pressure, Croatia equalised on 36 minutes after England surrendered possession in midfield. Petar Sucic produced clever footwork to beat John Stones before setting up Martin Baturina, who fired past Jordan Pickford.

Croatia’s joy lasted only six minutes.

A corner from Declan Rice found Kane unmarked inside the penalty area, and the England captain headed home his second goal of the evening. The strike took Kane’s World Cup tally to 10 goals, equalling the record held by Gary Lineker for England.

However, Croatia responded again in first-half stoppage time when Petar Musa capitalised on more defensive uncertainty to slot home from close range and make it 2-2.

England restored their advantage almost immediately after the restart.

Just two minutes into the second half, Bellingham surged forward from the right and calmly rolled the ball into the far corner to complete a powerful attacking move.

The goal shifted momentum firmly back in England’s favour. Kane, Bellingham and Nico O’Reilly all came close to extending the lead as Tuchel’s side created a series of dangerous openings.

Croatia continued to threaten, particularly during the closing stages as England briefly retreated under pressure.

The decisive moment arrived five minutes from time when Marcus Rashford came off the bench to score England’s fourth goal and finally extinguish Croatian hopes of a comeback.

The encounter revived memories of the 2018 World Cup semi-final, which Croatia won after extra time. This time, however, England emerged victorious and underlined their status as one of the tournament’s leading contenders.

While the attacking display will encourage England supporters, Tuchel is likely to demand defensive improvements ahead of the team’s next fixture.

For now, England can celebrate a vital opening victory as they begin their latest attempt to end six decades of major tournament disappointment.

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England Beat Croatia in spectacular fashion, with Kane, Bellingham and Rashford delivering the goals that ensured a winning start to the World Cup campaign.